For many years the Georgian leadership has been persistently attacking NATO demanding membership in the alliance. In recent times (at the Bucharest summit in 2008 and the recent Chicago event) it is periodically told that the sides discuss «further extension of Georgia’s cooperation with NATO, including strengthening political dialogue, practical cooperation and operational interaction». Words remain to be words while NATO uses Georgia and the «cannon fodder» it provides to the full according the Partnership for Peace program. It’s not Afghanistan and Iraq only. 

Today the Caucasus is in the sphere of political and economic interests of Russia, as well as Muslim states. The USA has declared it a zone of its «strategic interests» too. The decision to make such a declaration was spurred by the CIA report that saw light in 1997. 

The control over the Caucasus provides for protection of Russia’s borders from radical Islamism. In the case of the USA three important missions are set to be accomplished: 

– first, to establish control over the Caspian basin rich in oil. It would diminish the dependence of the West on the oil supplies coming from Arab countries;

– second, to weaken Russia’s political and economic might;

– third, to facilitate construction of oil routes «beyond» the Russian territory in order to weaken Russia’s influence on Ukraine, fully dependent on the supplies from Russia. 

For Muslim states the control over the Caucasus means extension of Islamic fundamentalism and possibility to exert influence on the West economically (by controlling the oil rich areas). The Caucasus joining the Muslim world may become a catalyst for its unification under the jihad banner leading to further spread of radical Islam in other parts of Eurasia. 

In other words, the Caucasus is the region where three major world powers – the USA, Russia and the Muslim world have their interests to pursue, the goal is to establish control over the oil rich Caspian region. 

Georgia enjoys an advantageous geographic position in Trans-Eurasian passageway. The official Tbilisi’s policy is aimed at allied relations with NATO and the West. A special role of the ruling regime in implementation of Washington’s military and political plans in the Caucasus makes Georgia an important beachhead for strengthening the Western presence in the region. The control over Georgia allows the USA to have access to Russia’s most vulnerable area – the northern Caucasus, it also ensures separation of Russia from its potential partners in the Middle East. 

The USA renders financial support and expertise to the Georgian armed forces. Ten years ago a kind of «American club» was established in Georgia uniting all heads of law enforcement agencies. For instance, Georgian Minister of Defense David Tevtadze graduated from NATO Defense college in Rome, then the European Center for Security Studies – College Strategic Research and defense economics – George Marshall, Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany and US army Staff college. G. Baramidze, Minister of Internal Affairs, is no less americanized, he studied at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, then Georgetown University. The USA has an important place in the biography of President Saakashvili. As a scholarship holder he earned his master’s degree in law at the Columbia University. He defended his dissertation at George Washington’s University and afterwards worked in one of law firms in New York. To great extent the «club» appeared thanks to the CIA office in Tbilisi operating under the cover of the embassy that, as A. Abashidze said, was in its time «a channel of influence over Shevardnadze». The office is under the Caspian division of CIA Operations Directorate. The area of responsibility includes the territories of the states (including the former Soviet Union) adjacent to the Caspian Sea. 

The US special services are active in many fields, they have close ties with official authorities and the local opposition. Pursuing far-reaching goals in the region, Washington prepares back-up positions foreseeing different ways the political situation may develop. As a rule, the West covers its real goals under the interests of economic nature. For instance, many a time the US State Department emphasized a need to protect the interests of the US raw materials, construction and other companies in Georgia and the Caucasus. The very presence of the biggest US and other Western oil companies in the region is becoming a very important factor defining the foreign policy of Georgia and Azerbaijan. 

The Georgian regime in power is trying to implement the national development strategy based on curtailing the historic Russia-Georgia ties and full turn to the West. The position of Tbilisi is stipulated by the following reasons. First, for the so-called Georgian elite (represented at present by Saakashvili and «thieves in law») Russia is of no interest anymore, though not so long ago the Georgians occupied top positions in its society structure – there is nothing really big you can get for nothing like before using the inside track connections. Second, Saakashvili is trying to overcome internal difficulties by instigating nationalism and russophobia hoping to divert the disgruntled population’s attention to the search of external enemies. Third, the ruling clique managed to alienate Georgia from Russia, it has nothing left but seek Western protection. As a result the foreign policy of Tbilisi is tied to Washington’s doctrines, that envisage Russia’s isolation in order to:

• provide oil and gas supplies from the Caspian to international markets circumventing Russia; 

• prevent strategic alignment and interaction between Moscow and Teheran;

• get Georgia and other post Soviet republics away from the collective security system provided by the Commonwealth of Independent States;

• boost Western military presence in the Caucasus through involvement of Georgia into the Atlantic security system (active familiarization of US and NATO military command structures with the Caucasian land theatre and Black Sea strikes an eye). 

These missions are accomplished with the help of: 

• growing involvement of Georgia into the NATO’s Partnership for Peace program; 

• military and military – technical agreements and interaction of Georgia with NATO members, including joint exercises, arming, equipping and building Georgian armed forces according to NATO standards; 

• military aid and training of Georgian servicemen in NATO educational facilities; 

• creation of anti-Russia political and militarized structures in order to act against the Commonwealth of Independent States security structures; 

• cutting short all military cooperation between Georgia and with Russia. 

Today Saakashvili assures journalists that he managed to achieve a promise from NATO to make Georgia a full fledged member of the Alliance. Besides he says he scored a success achieving full restoration of military supplies. It cannot but evoke anxiety among those who strive to prevent the destabilization of the Caucasus. It’s good that not everything he says is true. 

Georgia is really a candidate for NATO membership. It has been said for many years NATO wants it as a full fledged member. But it’s not in a hurry to take concrete steps. What for? Even without it the Georgians die for NATO in Afghanistan, the Alliance doesn’t care about other things. That’s why Georgia was not included into the NATO Membership Plan neither in 2008 in Bucharest, nor in 2012 in Chicago. The last event was presented as the most significant one in the NATO history. But talking about Georgian regime, the organizers did nothing more than saying usual complements without any obligations. 

It’s a great skepticism the Europeans and Americans look at the one who is called by media «Mr. Tie-eater». It’s not in vain NATO’s Secretary General reminds that the would-be 2012-2013 presidential and parliamentary elections in Georgia will become a «key issue» for Georgia’s integration into NATO long before the next summit of the Alliance due to take place in 2014. Until now they encourage Saakashvili by saying standard phrases about «open doors», «partnership», «special relations» to ensure the official Tbilisi goes on making its contribution into converting the Black Sea – Caspian region into the area of US and NATO vital interests, but not the area of interests of the Georgian people.